‘Undercurrent’, defined as a current of water below the surface moving in a different direction from any surface current, mirrors the contrasting forces within Amy Thai’s practice. Beginning her artistic journey with the ephemeral medium of flowers, Thai has evolved into working with enduring materials, creating an intriguing interplay between the temporary and the permanent in her role as both floral-artist and sculptor.
Her work finds particular resonance in Venice, a city deeply engaged with the powerful forces of nature. The marble blocks, quarried from the mountains of Carrara and transported to Venice, undergo a remarkable transformation under Thai’s hands. She releases these weighty materials into fleeting shapes that seem to float and flow, inspired by the lightness and sound of the surrounding water. In this process, ‘undercurrent’ emerges and takes shape within the marble, a powerful and strong material able to withstand her intensity.This dialogue between strength and delicacy continues in her glass works, executed in solid glass. Working with this medium, Thai creates pieces that challenge our understanding of strength and fragility. These sculptures range from crystal-clear to amber, with surfaces varying from translucent to matt, each capturing and playing with light in distinctive ways. While the marble speaks of permanence made fluid, the glass works present an opposite paradox – appearing delicate yet possessing remarkable durability.Throughout her range of materials, Thai’s sculptures capture organic forms and nature,with polished surfaces and varied texturesthat reflect the diverse densities found in the natural world. Together, these works inglass and marble create a unified aesthetic vision where the solidity of stone and the luminosity of glass speak to nature’s dual character of permanence and transformation,with different directions and movementscoexisting beneath apparent stillness.
